12 Cast Ons Day One Diving into older stash.

Hello and happy solstice. Welcome to the Stashed Yarn Diaries. If you're new here, my name is Jen and I'm a knitter. So today's special episode, I am going to start my 12 Days of Cast-Ons. If you have not heard of that before, it is a make-along that is hosted by Ange of the Yarn and Yarns YouTube channel. And I am going to have her this year's introductory video linked down below and you can find out all the information about how that make-along came to be, how you can participate, what the guidelines are, which they're fairly free. There's not very many restrictions on it. It's basically one to twelve cast-ons between Christmas and the end of January. So if you want to go participate, you can check that out, but I'm gonna tell you what I am doing. I spent way too much time in bed this morning. I was supposed to get up a little bit earlier, but I kind of got hooked on a book actually. Yeah, Agatha Christie will do it to you every time. Like look at this cover. My vintage my vintage Christie's have some very interesting covers. Anyway, yeah, I was in bed reading that and it's a little later in the day today. But I mean if my body needs the rest, I rest. So how I'm doing this is I'm doing my cast-ons during Yule, which is today, December 21st until January 1st, and I'm gonna do four days of cast-ons. My cats are doing zoomies right now. So if you hear crazy noise in the background, that's what that is. So I'm doing four days with three cast-ons each because last year I did a cast-on a day and vlogged it every day and edited it every day and that was very cumbersome. So my hat's off to anybody who does vlogmas because that is a lot of work. Anyway, so today three cast-ons and then the next one will be on the 24th and then I'm gonna do the 28th and then I'm going to do January 1st, so that will end off the days of Yule. So what I've decided to do, I went through all kinds of options of how to do my, like what type of cast-ons to do this year. I thought about Scrappy, Elder Stash, New Stash, Stash from a certain year, Birthday Stash, like so I couldn't make my mind up. So what I decided to do is do a scene for each day that I'm casting on and today is Elder Stash. So the three cast-ons that I'm doing today are all from Older Stash and I'm pretty excited to get them on the needles. Actually one is gonna be, no two of them are actually two that are gonna go back on the needles because they had been started as projects before and then I wasn't feeling it and I'll explain that when I get to those ones. But um, yeah, now they're gonna be new cast-ons. So I'll take you through my day as well because the plan is to watch a movie, Christmas movie, while I work on the first cast-on and then I will go do a chore. In this case, I have to go to the Farmer's Daughter and get myself some ready-made meals that they sell there because I love them and I'm not a huge fan of cooking. So I'd rather have something to throw in the oven. Sometimes I really like to make myself soup though, so there's that and I will cook every once in a while if there's something I really want. But um, yeah, the ready-made meals at the Farmer's Daughter serve me very well and they're a lot better than the ones you get at the grocery store that are full of sodium and sugar and all that stuff. So we're gonna go there after the first cast-on. So let's just begin. I've got my tea, the animals are fed, and I'm ready to go. Alright, so I'm settled over on the couch. I think I have everything that I need. The first movie I'm gonna watch, I haven't watched the Santa Claus yet this year, so I think today is gonna be Santa Claus Day. I'll watch the three movies over the three cast-ons, so what I'm gonna do is while I'm watching the movie, I will cast on and knit as far as the movie takes me and when the movie is over, that is it for that cast-on for today, and then I'll go on my little journey to the Farmer's Daughter. So the first project that I have is a fairly simple one. Being Elder Stash. This has been in my stash since 2013. I purchased everything in Ravelry, so this is the Ravelry project page. So for the yarn, it was purchased at Jimmy Bean's Wool. That was back when the Canadian dollar was doing better, so I was ordering from the States a little more. June 25th, 2013, and this has been in my stash basically because of analysis paralysis. I would save this yarn. Maisie wants to be a part of it. I must be doing something wrong that my production crew is calling out to me for some reason. Anyway, um, I think she's good now. Decision paralysis or analysis paralysis because this yarn was like super special to me when I first got it. It was like something new to me, which is like gradient yarns back then. This was a little different to me. I didn't have this around anywhere. So, and just in this bright rainbow color. I kept hanging on to it because I want it like the perfect project for it, and I've looked at cool color work socks and things, but what I've arrived at today is just striping it on itself in color, I'm not color work socks, in vanilla socks. So yeah, so this is yarn that's not made anymore. It is Crystal Palace Yarns Mini Mochi and the colorway is rainbow. So I have the two balls of it and I'm gonna start one on the cuff and then I'm just gonna after that I'm gonna start striping the two balls together with four row stripes I believe and I'm going to use 2.25 millimeter needles. These needles are also, they've also been in my needle collection for a long time. These were like my first sock needles for when I started doing Magic Loops, Socks on Magic Loops. They're just Knit Picks needles. They're not my favorite, but they're okay. And I tend to switch through needles as I knit things like when the good ones, my favorites are used or the socks are done on my favorites, I'll move them to a different project. So anyway, yeah, I'm just gonna get going now. I'm gonna get the movie started. I'm going to cast this on 64 stitches. These socks are gonna be for me. All the projects that I'm going to cast on for the 12 cast ons are gonna be for me because I knit so many gifts throughout the year. Like so many gifts and I have to make sure that I actually knit some things for myself. So anyway, I'm gonna get going. All right, so first movie is over and this is what I accomplished. So I did decide to change to five row stripes instead of four. When I did the four, it just wasn't quite wide enough. So, yeah, so I'm just like bumbalas on the floor striping the two and then when I get to the heel, I will just pick one and whichever one is not on the stripe that I'm on when I get to the length that I want and I'll do one color for the heel and then I'll start striping again for the foot and the gusset decreases. That is what it looks like so far. I am really happy with it. I'm kind of sad that I have to leave it right now because I want to keep striping. So maybe I'll circle back to it later on today after I finish casting on the other two. Right now I have a half-hour drive to the farmer's daughter. I think I'm gonna let Piper stay here because she's she's still under the blanket right here. And she's very cozy, although she'll probably get up when she sees me putting changing into my pajama pants, but I'm still in pajama pants because that is how I roll especially on solstice. I mean, it's the shortest day of the year. We're supposed to be hibernating so and I don't want to leave my house, but I really want to be stocked up on frozen prepared meals. The other thing is that stand and stuff your face is in the village today. So I might get that for supper and then I'll have half of it for supper tomorrow, which means I won't have to cook today. Love that for me. Okay, well I'm just gonna get moving. Mission has been accomplished. I got, they didn't have any of my favorite turkey pie, but I figured that would sell out this time of year anyway. So I got a chicken pie, I got lasagna, and I got a little tub of butternut squash soup, but I also managed to pick up some cider mix. And I got some cider mix for my mother's stocking and I got some jam for my mother's stocking. And I also picked up a little glass ornament. I usually get at least one a year for my tree, but I hadn't picked up one yet this year. So they had this little watering can that was super cute and like I try to keep my tree in theme with things that kind of reflect me and my hobbies and stuff. So yeah watering can for my plants. And yeah, so I'm down at the Wakagama Community Center and I just wanted to stop at the little book box because I have a book to put in. Sometimes I forget which books I already have and I end up with doubles. So I haven't read this yet but I am going to drop it off here so somebody can grab it for free and read it. So anyway, that is what I'm going to do now and then I'm just going to go back home and I am looking forward to it. Although the drive was not too bad, but anyway. Finally back on the couch, ready to do the second cast on. It is almost 430, which means I'm gonna have to get up and feed the cats. Anyway, I'll pause the movie. If I ever have to get up, I'm gonna pause the movie so that I don't lose knitting time. But I had to look at the next two Santa Claus movies to figure out when I'm gonna cast on which project because I want this next project to be on the longer one so the second one is longer because this one is going to be a harrowing cast on. It is a shawl that is knit from the top down and you cast on all the top stitches and it decreases in size to a point as you go. It is called The Birch and it is by Susan Miller. No, sorry, it's Sharon Miller. Sorry. I first heard about this pattern from Stephanie Pearl McPhee years ago and I have knit two of them for other people, but I've never knit one for myself. And anyway, it is in a lace weight yarn. Let's see what the best, I think, picture of it is here. There it is. So the yarn that I'm using I had used for another project before and it just didn't work out. So, um, I wasn't feeling it, but I really want a birch of my own and as you could see from the picture, it's like pretty like lace leaf motifs. Um I'm going to show you the yarn. Here it is. Okay. So this yarn has been in my stash since 2013 it is one of the special colorways from fleece artist and handmaiden that they do for Celtic Colors, which is a festival that we have here in Cape Breton in October. People come from all over the world to go to that festival and some of the knitters have learned about the yarn and come looking for it. So this is Handmaiden Marrakesh. It is 70% silk and 30% camel. It is so soft. It has been in my stash like I said since 2013 and this is going to be its project for sure. And I think it's appropriate that it has lace motifs because it's based off of fallen leaves or leaves of changed color. So yeah, and that is what I am going to cast on this round. It is on five millimeter needles. So bigger needles for a lace weight. This project is mainly knit. Usually people pick a silk mohair blend. Silk camel. I don't know like it does have a halo. So it's similar but not as fuzzy. And I'm using my knit prosing interchangeables to cast this on so it is going to be a long cast on. I have a situation here. I am I was kicked out of my spot. I came and ate my supper. I got the maple curry penne. So good. I love stand and stuff your face. They're here at least like once a week because they're kind of a local. They're just they live down the highway. And anyway, I came. I sat in my spot. I ate and watched an episode of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and then went and brought stuff to the kitchen and threw another load of laundry in and somebody stole my spot on the couch and sometimes I'll move her if I really have to but I don't really have to. I don't need access to that table over there. So she is here. So she comes up. She steals my spot and then she paws at me to put a blanket over her. So Yeah, so I've moved over a little bit but anyway I am going to get the movie started and get this cast on because this is I'm going to be doing a lot of counting and repeat counting. So I'm going to grab a couple of stitch markers So I can keep track of how many stitches are cast on. I can't remember how many it is. I have to open a pattern yet Uh, but I will tell you a little later. I dropped my needle. Anyway on I go I went over my time a little bit. I went into the credits of the movie and everything because um I wasn't done the second row yet. So I only have two rows done. This was like It's 299 stitches Um, I had to be very careful knitting the first row because you know after the initial cast on your stitches are a little Tight Ish not too bad, but you know what I'm like not as quick as Once you first get that first row done. So Um, yeah, I put this stitch marker here because I thought maybe I'm pulled a yarn over out on the way in But I just looked at it From here Down and did the the pattern in my head as I went and it's working out. So I don't think I did do that. It's just The yarn overs on with a lace weight yarn on five millimeter needles are so big so it kind of felt like when I was Moving it to the other needle that I had pulled it off Um and dropped it, but I don't think that happened. So yeah, I only got two rows done on this because It's crazy long like for a whole movie. This is all I got done Um the cast on took a while because I do 50 stitches Recount and if I got the right number I put a marker and then I do it again for the next 50 in the next 50 so um, yeah casting on took a while and then that first row took forever, so And i'm also being careful Like on that first row I was being really careful not to slide stitches off the needles. I think I might Switch to my wooden five millimeters instead of these to slow The stitches down a little bit So anyway Yeah, I was gonna bake this evening but now it's like almost seven o'clock so I think what i'm gonna do is fold some laundry Put my simmer pot my solstice simmer pot on because I have not done that yet I stopped at my work on my way through um coming back from the farmer's daughter and just grabbed Some little sprigs of balsam fir because I didn't have any evergreen from my simmer pot I um, yeah, i'm gonna go Put that on and do a little bit of laundry and then i'm going to sit down and do my final cast on and watch the third Santa Claus movie So yeah I will see you in a bit Jewels are taken care of it is just about 20 to 8. So I figured if I start this movie By 8 o'clock i'll be in bed by like 10 10 30 which is fine. I normally i'm in bed at like nine o'clock reading but Today's special so It's okay if i'm a little bit late and uh, I don't know if i'll be able to sleep that great tonight anyway, because um, I really want to read this i'm gonna be like fighting against falling asleep to find out Who killed the patriarch of the family? um so final cast on It is called Sam Bubbles. It is a pattern by Greta Menson And it is written for fingering weight, but I am going to hold lace weight double This is what it looks like it flipped. Oh, it's flipping all over the place. I just you know, I swear I haven't been drinking Um, that is what it looks like It is quite adorable I purchased it some time ago and then when I was looking at my Ravelry Library to see what I kind of wanted to do um for some of my cast ons This particularly with this yarn Um, the yardage cotton half of this yarn matched up with that. So this yarn is again elder stash It is from I believe 2012 I remember when I bought it Epodeck Yarns. It has been in my stash For a while. It was cast on twice and frogged Never dawned on me for the longest time that I could hold my lace weight double and use it up But anyway, it is the Lana Kiwi Lace weight yarn And Yeah, so, um You can tell it's getting late because i'm just like whatever uh, it's knit on three millimeters, so I have to borrow my fiesta needles for this one, but I'll just put this on a stitch holder. I need to Cast on fiesta socks, which I believe i'm doing on christmas day it's not part of the 12 cast ons, but it's a treat to myself because I've knit fiesta socks for like several people now and not any for myself. So yeah And I bought the yarn So that's gonna happen but anyway, um, so it's time for the final movie of the evening and it is the santa claus three Alan arkin is in this one He used to live well before he died he lived here in summer home part-time obviously in summer Uh in margaret harbour, which is like more to the north And I ended up on a flight with him once and that was like the closest i've ever come to a celebrity especially an oscar winner um without like going to a concert or something like Come pretty close to jimbo, but I was at jimbo's show. So I don't think that counts So there's alan arkin and then uh, margaret margaret atwood was walking down the street here one day. So, um Yeah I think they miss alan, uh up in the up in margaret harbour I think he was uh Very well liked around there. So anyway, yeah, he's in this movie Side tangent. All right. I am going to get started and i'm going to cast on I have my snacks Although I don't think i'm feeling very snacky Because that I ate all that pasta I wasn't going to I was going to split it, but I didn't have anything for lunch so Things happened, but i'm still like kind of full so I probably won't They eat much of that probably won't be much at all and I got myself a little alcohol-free cider So, um, oh and of course I have my water my trusty emotional support water bottle um Yeah, so i'm gonna get going we're gonna see how far I can get on this one I should have better luck with this one than the last one getting a lot done. So Not a lot done but a bit A noticeable amount Okay, Jen stop talking and let's just Get to it All right, it is Quarter to 10. I've actually been sitting here doing scrolling for like 20 minutes. So I was done the movie 20 minutes ago And I got a couple of repeats done on The scarf and there it is i'm really loving how like denim-y the color is I think that's fairly true to the color And it's like it's not scratchy whatsoever My house smells amazing right now, by the way, i'm kind of sad that I have to turn the simmer pot off But um, you know gotta go to bed, but piper was already out for her pee um, she was oh, no, she's awake now, but she is Curled up here she'll happily go to bed though get under the covers Um, oh I didn't show you which project bag it's in i'm keeping it in this lovely project bag that a viewer sent me And with all of its Owly goodness All right, so that is it for my first day of cast ons casting on some elder stash projects I will have a different theme for the next one And that will take place on christmas eve actually and Don't forget to check out angela's video to find out everything you need to know about the 12 cast ons And like I said before it can be anywhere between 1 and 12 cast ons Um, and just the whole idea is to kind of set yourself up for the year And uh, whatever works for you. Um She can explain that on the video it'll be like the first link down below and I hope that you had a lovely solstice Uh, I will be talking to you on Thursday no wednesday wednesday's christmas eve. So I will be recording on christmas eve and Probably upload that evening maybe So anyway, it is time for me to go to bed Have a lovely lead up to christmas if you celebrate, um, have a wonderful Cozy Winter evenings if you live in the northern hemisphere and lovely sunny days If you live in the southern hemisphere, but I hope you don't have a drought I really hope you don't have a drought that was rotten this year up here um And I was gonna say something else. I can't remember what it was Yeah, oh I know we're over the hump now the longest night is occurring and after that we will be Having longer and longer days as time goes on so Yay anyway until next time I hope you are getting your happy knitting done. Anyway, take care